EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA FINANCIAL MECHANISM FUNDS 2009-2014

European Economic Area Agreement Protocol 38b between the European Union, Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway, establishes a Financial Mechanism, called EEA Financial Mechanism 2009-2014, which global objective consists in the reduction of economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and reinforce bilateral relations between the Donor States (Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway) and the beneficiary States to contribute to guarantee towards a stable, peaceful and prosper Europe, based on the good governance, democratic institutions, rule of law, respect for human rights and sustainable development.

Priority sectors for the Financial Mechanism sphere of actions are:

Environmental protection and management

Climate change and renewable energy

Civil society

Human and social development

Cultural heritage protection

Donor States: Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway

Dated November 19th, 2011, the EEA Financial Mechanism Application Memorandum 2009-2014 came into effect between Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway (Donor States) and the Kingdom of Spain (Beneficiary State) which makes available for Spain more than 42 million, of which 10,191,250€ are assigned to manage the program “Gender Equality and Reconciliation of Family and Work Life”, which was approved on May 30th, 2013. This amount represents 85% of the cofinancing program.

For the fulfillment of the “Gender Equality and Reconciliation of family and work life” program objectives, it is necessary to perform projects destined to promote: gender equality in the employment market, female entrepreneurship, reconciliation of family and work life, as well as women from vulnerable groups market integration.

According to the Agreement Memorandum areas of activity and in order to reach the “Gender Equality and Reconciliation of Family and Work Life” program objectives, the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism approves that 5,422,454 € of the total program 10,191,250 € are managed through a grants’ call which aim would be the performance of activities and projects related with the promotion and development of actions that encourage the principle of opportunity equality in the abovementioned environments, according to the advertisement, concurrence and objectivity criteria.

The Resolution of 25 April 2014, of the Institute for Women, (OG 15 May 2014) calls in competitive concurrence regime, the concession of public grants with temporary scope during 2014 and 2015, for the performance of projects destined to the compliance of objectives under the Agreement Memorandum, about the application of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism Application subscribed between Donor States and the Beneficiary State.

The Project Tools to tackling the gender pay gap is a project promoted by the General Union of Workers of Spain and is cofunded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism for Spain, through the Gender Equality and Reconciliation of Family and Work Life program, for the period of 2009-2014.